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METATHESIS: JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LITERATURE AND TEACHING
p-ISSN: 2580-2712
Vol. 6, No. 1, April 2022 PP 12-27
e-ISSN: 2580-2720
DOI: 10.31002/metathesis.v6i1.138
Using Mythic Structure of Campbell’s

Monomyth to Analyze Spirited Away:
A Heroine’s Journey
Meng-Hsuan Wu1, Ya-huei Wang*2

1Department of Applied Foreign Languages,
Chung Shan Medical University
2Department of Medical Education,
Chung Shan Medical University Hospital

No. 110, Sec. 1, Jian-Koa N. Rd, Taichung, Taiwan
E-mail: yhuei@csmu.edu.tw
*corresponding author
Received: Revised: Accepted: Published:

24 September 2021 20 January 2022 3 February 2022 30 April 2022
Abstract
This study intends to examine the stages of the hero’s journey based
on the mythic structure of Campbell’s monomyth and use the
monomyth to analyze how a ten-year-old girl, Chihiro, embarks on a
journey to the supernatural world in Spirited Away. The study uses
content analysis, a descriptive qualitative method, to analyze the
monomyth: a departure–initiation–return journey covering seventeen
stages. The monomyth involves metamorphoses and challenges that
the heroine Chihiro encounters and explores her evolution during her
transition to full autonomy in order to reach transformation and self-
individuation. Chihiro, in order to rescue her parents, is destined to
take the journey: to sink into darkness, the unconscious, and encounter
her natural and primitive essence. By fighting against conflict or
opposition, Chihiro, as a mythical heroine, completes her monomyth
cycle and attains transformation and regeneration.
Keywords: monomyth, the hero’s journey, self-individuation, initiation,

transformation, regeneration
Introduction
The term “myth” refers to something unreal, yet commonly believed by human
beings. According to sacred narratives, myths explain how the world and human
beings came into existence (Alan, 1984; Leeming, 2011). Myths pertain to the
beginning of the earth, the nature of gods, the creation of human beings, and even
the virgin birth in different regions, ritual ceremonies, and religious representations
regarding births, marriages, burials, and so forth (Spence, 2004; Campbell, 1949,
2008, & 2014), and are rife with metaphors and symbolism. Though there is no
definite interpretation of myths, they have been regarded as primitive allegories to
explain the world of nature, using symbols, images, and archetypes to give meaning
to life or human existence. However, in modern society, which focuses on science
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Wu & Wang Using Mythic Structure of Campbell’s Monomyth to Analyze Spirited
Away: A Heroine’s Journey
and technology, people are resistant to myths or mythology, eschewing the notion
that not only science but also mythology can extend the vision of human experience.
Without the assistance of mythology to provide an outlet for repressed feelings,
people may lose meaning and direction in their life (Levi-Strauss, 1955).
Indeed, the development of science and technology has hindered people’s
recognition of mythology (Robert, 1987) and strengthened their denial that myths
somehow serve as a unique instrument helping human beings to mediate and
identify meaning in the process of reality development (Blocian, 2015). Campbell
(1949, 2008, & 2014) has declared that mythology, a collection of myths connected
to psychology, has been misread as biography, history, or cosmology, leading
people to overlook mythology’s profound depth (Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014).
Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014) has further argued that mythology enriches the
human spirit through symbols, images, and themes. In addition to the involvement
of the human spirit and mind, myths involve a dynamic interaction between the
unconscious and the conscious. Hence, through the acquisition of mythology,
human beings can mediate their personal experiences and achieve reality
development (Blocian, 2015).
The term “monomyth,” the hero’s journey, was coined by Campbell (1949,
2008, & 2014); it indicates heroic narratives in which a heroic protagonist sets out
on a journey and, after transformative adventures, returns home with rewards.
Myths are the language of the unconscious, with archetypal meanings hidden inside
(Jung, 1990). For instance, the monomyth, through different forms, shares the
assumptions that an archetypal hero (Campbell, 2002; Guerin, 1979; Jung,1990), a
prototype of human figures, sinks into darkness, the unconscious, to encounter the
natural and primitive instinct sphere, and by fighting against sociocultural values,
this mythic hero can successfully transgress his instinctive chaotic drives and
transform himself into a man with autonomy, building upon his human ego from
the unconscious, and finally returning to his ordinary world in triumph. Hence, the
monomyth can be considered a representation of the hero’s individuation process—
a journey to reach self-realization (Beggan, 2016; Blocian, 2015), which involves
metamorphoses and challenges that the hero encounters, and a negotiation during
the transition to full autonomy in order to reach transformation and renewal. In
essence, the monomyth involves human beings’ inevitable and recurring
transformations, as well as rebirth and regeneration (Palumbo, 2014). Therefore, it
can be a crucial mechanism for a person’s self-development, self-identification, and
self-realization.
There are astonishing similarities between the monomyth’s archetypal patterns
between different civilizations and cultures from the past to the present, always in
the pattern of departure → initiation → return. Those embarking on an adventure
face various challenges and conflicts, conquer their difficulties, and ultimately
attain a decisive victory and return triumphantly to the ordinary world. In order to
further realize monomythic archetypes and patterns, as well as their hidden
significance and implication, this study intends to use the film Spirited Away to
demonstrate and analyze the mythic structure of Campbell’s (1949, 2008, & 2014)
monomyth.
Method
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This study uses content analysis, a descriptive qualitative method, to analyze the
film Spirited Away, based on Campbell’s theory (1949, 1993, 2008, & 2014) about
monomyth explored in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. As Creswell
(2013) suggests that qualitative research is a process of inquiry into natural or social
settings via qualitative methods to illustrate social or human problems. Hence, in
the qualitative content analysis of the study, while analyzing the data, the
researchers were not in the position to manipulate the data but examined the data in
cinema and script to interpret the phenomenon as it was. As Neuman indicates
(2007), qualitative data are in the forms of written words, sentences, photographs,
or symbols used to illustrate or analyze people, actions, events or phenomena in
social life (Neuman, 2007). The data collected in the study included the written
words, schemes, dialogues, pictures, images, gestures, symbols, archetypes, etc. in
the cinema and script of Spirited Away (Miyazaki, 2001). After an extensive
literature study on the theory of monomyth (Campbel,1949, 2008, & 2014) and a
thorough study of the cinema and the film script of Spirited Away, to further analyze
the data collected, the researchers used the monomyth as a tool to examine the
stages of the heroine Chihiro Ogino, who went on an adventure, conquered
difficulties in a series of decisive crises, and finally came home with victories.
Based on Campbell’s (1949, 2008, & 2014) monomyth, for personal
development, a hero will journey into the world of the unknown, not knowing where
to go or what to do, though with some ambiguous cues. Hence, the hero must find
his own way and know what he wants. To achieve the goal, the hero strives to
persevere; in the process, he will realize his own potential and become much
stronger, physically and spiritually. After conquering all of the challenges and
difficulties, the hero will return to his ordinary world, having transformed from an
innocent child to an adult. The following are the three monomythic phases and
seventeen steps in terms of Campbell’s mythic structure of monomyth:
➢ Phase 1: Departure (5 stages):
The call to adventure; refusal of the call; supernatural aid; the crossing of the
first threshold; the belly of the whale
➢ Phase 2: Initiation (6 stages):
The road of trials; the meeting with the goddess; woman as the temptress;
atonement with the Father; apotheosis; the ultimate boon
➢ Phase 3: Return (6 stages):
Refusal of the return; the magic flight; rescue from without; the crossing of
the return threshold; master of the two worlds; freedom to live
This study adopted Campbell’s theory of monomyth to analyze the process
that the ten-year-old heroine, Chihiro, goes through in Spirited Away, specifically,
the seventeen interconnected stages of a hero’s departure–initiation–return journey,
through which Chihiro realizes her potential and transforms from an innocent child
to an adult with self-determination.
Findings and Discussion

Spirited Away as a monomyth
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The Japanese film Spirited Away (2001), directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated
by Studio Ghibli, is full of monomythic archetypes and patterns. It is a self-
individuation story of a ten-year-old girl, Chihiro Ogino. After moving to a new
town with her parents, Chihiro accidentally enters a place that she has never been
to, a world full of deities and phantoms. Upon entering the place, she encounters
many difficulties and becomes stuck in that supernatural world. In addition, her
parents, who had also entered the mystery world, became victims of a spell and
were turned into pigs after devouring food without permission at a restaurant. In
order to save her parents, Chihiro needs to break the spell in the supernatural world;
then, her parents will return to being human beings, and Chihiro will be able to
return to the real and ordinary world. The film Spirited Away fits into the theme of
“departure → initiation → return” pattern, in which an individual leaves his/her
current world to travel and steps into a special world to encounter a series of
unexpected adventure (Randles, 2012). As a monomyth, the film is filled with
metaphoric symbols, allegories, and images with profound significance and
implications. Campbell’s monomyth has greatly influenced popular culture; his
hero narratives have also influenced the film and literature study (Vogler, 2007).
The three monomythic phases and seventeen steps in terms of Campbell’s mythic
structure of monomyth are briefly illustrated below.
Figure 1. the seventeen interconnected stages of a hero’s departure–initiation–

return journey
Monomyth—phase one: departure

Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014) divided this first phase of the hero’s journey into
five stages: the call to adventure, refusal of the call, supernatural aid, the crossing
of the first threshold, and the belly of the whale. When the protagonist must embark
on an unknown journey, his intuition may advise him against the journey itself;
naturally, he may be fearful of his unpredictable circumstances. Thus, the hero
wanders around until supernatural aid pushes him to cross the first threshold and
sink into the supernatural world, where adventure awaits. At this moment, the hero
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leaves his ordinary world and ventures into a dangerous realm where everything is
unknown, much like being in the belly of a whale. The belly of the whale stage
represents the final separation from the old world. By entering this stage, the hero
shows a willingness to undergo a series of challenges or quests (Campbell, 1949,
2008, & 2014).
The call to adventure; refusal of the call

The call to adventure stage is the first crucial stage in the mythological journey
(Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014) whereby the hero, through some unknown external
change, is summoned to embark on a new journey. Having left the comfort zone of
his ordinary world, the hero is forced to experience a series of terrifying, evil
challenges.
In Spirited Away, as Chihiro and her parents are driving to their new town, she
discovers some shrines beside the road. She also finds a stone statue in the
underbrush, which foreshadows the call to adventure, implying that Chihiro’s
family is crossing the border between the ordinary world (reality) and the
supernatural world.
Chihiro: What are those little houses?
Mother: They’re shrines. People pray to them.
Chihiro: Daddy, are we lost?
Father: We’re fine, we’ve got 4-wheel drive. Sit down, Chihiro.
Mother: You're going to kill us!
Father: A tunnel?
Mother: What’s this strange building?
Father: Must be the entrance. (Miyazaki, 2001, 00:02:20-00:03:19)
On the way to their new home, Chihiro’s father takes a wrong turn and drives
onto a narrow path, full of trees and shrines. Unexpectedly, the car almost runs into
a mysterious stone statue on the path, and behind the statue lies an ancient stone
tunnel. The process from taking a wrong turn to encountering the mysterious stone
statute, the symbol of a supernatural god, refers to the call to adventure. In myths
and cinematic narratives, mysterious tunnels, holes, and caves are used as a bridge
to the unconscious or the supernatural world (Vollmar, 2007). Thus, with curiosity,
Chihiro’s parents’ step into the tunnel; however, Chihiro, a timid girl, is unwilling
to enter the tunnel, refusing the call of adventure.
The refusal of the call stage presents the stage in which the hero, with fear or
insecurity, refuses the call to embark on the journey. Sometimes, the journey may
be obstructed by external forces. Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014) noted that refusal
of the call casts a negative connotation toward the journey, allowing the protagonist
to lose the chance to grow up or experience rebirth.
In Spirited Away, a fearful Chihiro has no intention of embarking on an
adventure in the tunnel. Hence, while her parents stepped inside, she just stood at
the mouth of the tunnel, begging them not to go further.
Mother: Honey. Let’s go back, honey.
Chihiro: It’s creepy. Daddy, let’s go back.
Father: No need to be scared. Just a little farther, OK?
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Mother: The moving van’ll get there before us.

Father: So, let ’em, they’ve got the keys. Let the movers move us.
Mother: I know, but...
Chihiro: No! I won’t go. Daddy, let’s go back. (Miyazaki, 2001, 00:03:22-
00:04:09)
At first, Chihiro tries to urge her father to return to the car. However, her
parents insist on walking through the tunnel to see the other side. Although
frightened, in the end, Chihiro chooses to remain with her parents—she is more
frightened of being alone. Being timid, Chihiro is too afraid to wait outside by
herself and stay with the mysterious stone statue that makes her so uncomfortable.
Thus, she plucks up her courage to walk into the tunnel, a passage to the
supernatural world.
In terms of psychoanalysis, refusing the call for adventure indicates one’s
willingness to be bound by the walls of childhood, hence losing the chance to move
past infantile ego and internalize aspects of reality, thus failing to reach the full
reality of living and dying (Guntrip, 1969). In order for Chihiro to complete her
self-individuation journey, she must enter the tunnel.
Supernatural aid
After the hero accepts the call of adventure and embarks on the journey, either
willingly or reluctantly, he first encounters the so-called supernatural aid, a
symbolic rescuer that protects him and helps him to survive various tasks and
ordeals during the adventure. Hence, the supernatural aid serves as a protective
figure—an old man, an old crone, a wizard, a hermit, or a shepherd—who provides
guidance, advice, and even confidence as the hero struggles to overcome his fears
on the threshold of the adventure and, later, during a series of trials (Campbell,
1949, 2008, & 2014). Metaphorically, the supernatural aid also includes other
mentors who provide physical or spiritual assistance to motivate the hero during the
journey.
For instance, when Chihiro is reluctant to enter the tunnel, a blast of wind arises
as a supernatural aid and blows her into the tunnel, thus beginning her adventure.
Chihiro: The wind’s going in.
Mother: What is it?
Father: Let’s have a look. There’s a way through.
Mother: Chihiro, you wait in the car.
Chihiro: Mommy, wait. (Miyazaki, 2001, 00:03:44-00:04:27)
The blast of wind, like the mysterious stone statue, serves as the supernatural aid
to send Chihiro into the tunnel and to the unknown supernatural world.
Haku, the spirit of the Kohaku River, also serves as a natural aid to help Chihiro
with various trials during the adventure. Aware that Chihiro’s parents have been
bewitched and turned into pigs, Haku, originally a river god, tries to comfort
Chihiro, letting her know that he will help her and saying, “Don’t be afraid, I’m a
friend” (ibid., 00:14:59-00:15:01). Also, Haku advises Chihiro to sign a contract
with Yubaba, a metaphorical sorcerer, to work at the bath house, a place “where 8
million gods can rest their weary bones” (ibid., 00:36:48-00:36:54). By working at
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the bath house, Chihiro may have a chance to rescue her parents, break the spell,
and escape the supernatural world.
Crossing the first threshold; belly of the whale
With the guidance of his rescuers, the hero sets off in search of his identity and
broadens his vision of reality. Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014) states that the
guidance of supernatural aid leads the hero to the first threshold, which represents
the limitations of the hero’s current domain or life vision. The threshold separates
two different worlds: the human/ordinary world and the supernatural world, a world
full of gods, spirits, ghosts, and phantoms. After crossing the threshold, the hero
will encounter a metaphorical threshold guard, warning him of the danger of
crossing the boundary (Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014).
When Chihiro walks to the bridge, leaving behind her parents, who are still
human at this point and devouring a delicious buffet, Haku arrives at the bridge and
warns her not to cross the river lest she be trapped there forever: “You’re not
allowed here. Go back! It’s almost night! Leave before it gets dark” (Miyazaki,
2001, 00:11:21-00:11:25). Afterward, to prevent Chihiro from vanishing in the
supernatural world and losing the chance to save her parents, Haku offers her the
magic berry in his hand.
Haku: Don’t be afraid. I’m a friend.
Chihiro: NO, no, no.
Haku: Open your mouth and eat this.
Haku: Unless you eat something from this world, you’ll vanish.
(Miyazaki, 2001, 00:14:54-00:15:01)
Somewhat like a good angel or a protective figure, Haku warns Chihiro not to
wander past the boundary; once she enters the supernatural world, she will have no
means of escape. However, in order to save her parents, who have been turned into
pigs and whipped, Chihiro has no choice but to cross the second boundary, the
bridge, and enter the belly of the whale stage, where she must overcome a series of
trials, as well as her own fear, so as to break the spell and save her parents.
The belly of the whale refers to the stage in which the hero sinks into an unknown
region, as a projection of the unconscious (Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014).
Successfully passing through the passage of the magical threshold, the belly of the
whale, symbolizing the womb, implies a transition into a sphere of rebirth or
transformation (Khoury, 2006). The darkness within the belly (the womb)
symbolizes the unknown world, death, or self-annihilation. However, once the hero
conquers all the challenges, his emergence from the belly (the womb) symbolizes
the birth, or rebirth, of the hero. It should also be noted that, by entering the belly
(the symbolic womb), the hero, instead of moving beyond the boundary of the
physical world, moves inward, toward his own origin—the womb—to seek the
possibility of rebirth and regeneration (Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014).
In Spirited Away, the bath house is the symbolic womb, as well as belly of the
whale. Upon entering the bath house, in order to seek rebirth, Chihiro must use her
wisdom during all of the trials; otherwise, she will experience self-annihilation. In
order to rescue her parents, Chihiro has to find a job at the bath house. Upon first
seeing the bath house owner Yubaba, the metaphorical sorcerer figure, Chihiro,
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timid and trembling, is terrified of his intimidating looks. However, Chihiro

displays courage, persistence, and commitment by securing a job at the bath house,
repeatedly imploring, “Please let me work here”; “I want to work here!”; “Please
let me work!” (Miyazaki, 2001, 00:37:46-00:37:51). With perseverance, ultimately
Chihiro gets the job and hence enters the bath house. Sinking into the bath house,
a symbolic belly of the whale, Chihiro is ready to face various challenges, meet her
allies as well as her enemies, and most importantly, start her initiation.
Monomyth—phase two: initiation

Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014) divided the initiation phase into six stages: the road
of trials, the meeting with the goddess, woman as the temptress, atonement with the
father, apotheosis, and the ultimate boon. After crossing the threshold, the hero is
destined to follow the road of trials, a journey full of unpredictable and magical
encounters. This is also the most fascinating stage in the whole monomyth. In this
initiation phase, the hero receives a variety of challenges and trials, meets with the
goddess to experience what love is, and encounters material temptations to hold
him back from his journey. The most crucial part of the initiation phase occurs when
the hero reaches the atonement with the father stage, that is, he reaches the deepest
part of the mythical cave, which refers to the most dangerous ordeals, conflicts, and
challenges in the adventure. In this stage, the hero learns to overcome all these
obstacles so as to acquire wisdom, love, empathy, and bliss, and hence reach the
stage of apotheosis. The hero may not be successful in every trial, but the most
important thing is that, through the journey, he never gives up or accepts defeat,
hence receiving the ultimate boon as the reward or treasure.
The road of trials
Once venturing on the initiation journey, the hero must undergo the road of trials,
an initial stage to bring about his transformation. This is the stage where the hero’s
wisdom, courage, resourcefulness, and resilience or power will be tested. Through
the confrontations, trials, or obstacles during the adventure, the hero can gain a
deeper insight into himself and identify with himself. According to Campbell (1949,
2008, & 2014), during the dark, dangerous, and difficult task on the road of trials,
the hero enters his own mental labyrinth. Ultimately, the hero learns to submit
himself to the supernatural world, reaching a purgation or surrender, or a
compromise.
In order to survive at the bath house so as to save her parents, Chihiro must
restrain herself and tolerate Yubaba’s scornful tone as he humiliates her and her
parents, calling her “a useless weakling,” “a lazy, spoiled, crybaby,’ “stupid to
boot,” and so forth (Miyazaki, 2001, 00:36:11-00:37:39). Moreover, she must
discard her real name, a symbol of identity, in order to keep her job at the bath
house. In addition to submitting to verbal humiliation and relinquishing her name
and identity, Chihiro endures physical labor at the bath house in order to meet the
demanding requests of her exploitative boss, Yubaba. For instance, she has to be
tough enough to clean a Stink God to get rid of his filth. Though being tortured
physically and mentally, Chihiro’s efforts are rewarded. For instance, while
cleaning the Stink God, she finds a thorn stuck in him, so she tugs all of the
miscellaneous objects out of his body and discovers that the Stink God is actually a
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River God. In appreciation of Chihiro’s helpfulness, the River God rewards her with
a magic emetic dumpling, a soul-cleansing food.
Meeting with the goddess; woman as temptress
While confronting a series of difficult tasks and challenges, the hero will meet his
allies and enemies, both serving as crucial roles for the hero’s journey. However,
the hero should have the ability to recognize who can be trusted and who cannot, as
what Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014) said meeting the goddess and women as
temptress. However, in a monomyth, the goddess in the meeting with the goddess
stage is not necessarily female, but a figure connected to love, warmth, protection,
nourishment, and other positive characteristics. In Spirited Away, during her
adventure, Chihiro meets Haku, Kamaji, and Lin, who are metaphorical goddesses
who help her.
If there is a queen goddess serving as a good mother image, there must also be
a bad mother image representing lust and temptation, as with the incest of Oedipus
(Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014). Yubaba also makes enemies, or temptresses, such
as Yubaba, with a large mole on her third eye and an obsession with gold and
money. Yubaba forces her to do difficult daily chores at the bath house. In the
woman as the temptress stage, the hero encounters temptations in the form of
disguised witches, sirens, and sorcerers, who distract him from the ultimate quest.
These temptations—which can be a human being, an object, an event, or even
food—may try to lead the hero astray, convince him to abandon his adventure, or,
even worse, bring about his self-annihilation or death. Those who cannot resist
temptation remain in the supernatural world, as with Chihiro’s parents, who were
bewitched into becoming pigs.
Mother: Come in, Chihiro, it looks delicious.
Father: Hello, anybody there?
Mother: Oh, don’t worry. We can pay them when they get back.
Father: You’re right. That one looks great.
Mother: I wonder what this is called.
Delicious! Chihiro, taste it.
Chihiro: I don’t want to! Let’s go! They’re gonna be mad at us. (Miyazaki,
2001, 00:08:32-00:08:55)
Chihiro’s gluttonous parents fail to resist the food temptation, eating too much
and hence being turned into pigs. In contrast, Chihiro politely resists the food
temptation and wanders around until she bumps into Haku, a threshold guardian
who warns her of the dangers of leaving the parental protection and of stepping into
the unknown world.
In addition to resisting food temptations, Chihiro also must resist the
temptation of gold. For instance, Chihiro is offered gold at one point, but she does
not covet others’ property, so she refuses the offer. Recall that Chihiro also had to
confront Yubaba, her exploitative boss at the bath house. Yubaba is a metaphorical
symbol of the woman as the temptress. While working at the bath house, Chihiro
also confronts varied trials and enemies which attempt to dissuade her from
attaining her goal. Unquestionably, Yubaba is a metaphorical symbol of crone and
sorceress, as Haku says that “If you [Chihiro] don’t work, Yubaba will turn you into
an animal”; “She’s the sorceress who rules our world” (ibid., 00:19:31-00:19:36).
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Atonement with the Father

In the atonement with the father stage, the hero finds himself in a position or a
place—a symbolic abyss—of terrible danger or inner conflict regarding a life-or-
death crisis. Father in this stage refers to a metaphorical symbol of someone (such
as a god) or something (such as death) holding power over the hero. Only by
resolving conflict and opposition—as the id–ego–superego, life–death, human–
supernatural, and the conscious and the unconscious—does the hero have a chance
to reach a metaphorical rebirth and reach the completion of his journey (Campbell,
1949, 2008, & 2014). However, while confronting these conflicts and oppositions,
the hero first must overcome his deepest fear and manage to embrace the conflicts
or oppositions, so as to resolve them and hence reach his ultimate regeneration.
In a monomyth, the father may also symbolize a person, either a man or a
woman, who holds strong or divine power. In Spirited Away, No Face is a
metaphorical figure of the father, who has the amazing power to make gold himself;
indeed, “Gold springs from his palms” (Miyazaki, 2001, 01:14:48-01:14:49).
Initially seeing No Face standing in the rain, with empathy, Chihiro kindly asks
him, “Aren’t you... getting wet?” (ibid., 00:53:04) and leaves the door open to let
him come inside the bath house. However, she does not want his gratitude. A lonely
entity who becomes fond of Chihiro, No Face intends to use gold to buy her, but
she replies, “I don’t want any. Don’t need any. I’m busy, please excuse me” (ibid.,
01:15:5101:15:57). Eager to receive love from others, No Face conjures gold in
order to get attention and love. However, when Chihiro’s fellow workers see the
gold, they manage to take it, leaving No Face alone. Hence, No Face, lonely and
eager for love, becomes irritated by their greed; he turns into a horrible monster
and devours “two frogs and a slug” (ibid.,01:30:24-01:30:27). Afterward, with
blood on his mouth, he swallows two more workers who interrupted his
conversation with Chihiro. Everyone except Chihiro becomes terrified of No Face,
afraid of being eaten by the horrible monster.
Afterward, Chihiro tells No Face that he cannot give her what she wants: a way
to save her parents and Haku.
No Face: Come over here, Sen. What is it you want? You can tell me.
Chihiro: Where did you come from? There’s someplace I have to go right
away. You can’t help me with what I want (ibid., 01:33:11-
01:33:17)
In addition to No Face, Zeniba represents a metaphorical father figure with
strong or divine power. She uses her power to cast a spell and transform Yubaba’s
son, Boh, and her bird into a mouse and a little fly, respectively. Also, after learning
that her sister Yubaba sent Haku to her house to steal a precious seal, in a fury, she
gravely injures Haku. In order to rescue Haku and pacify Zeniba’s fury, Chihiro
volunteers to go to the marsh bottom, a symbolic abyss, or the unconscious, to
return the precious seal and beg Zaniba to forgive Haku. Taking the train running
on the water to the marsh bottom represents Chihiro’s descent into the darkness of
the symbolic abyss and the conflicts and oppositions of the id–ego–superego, life–
death, human–supernatural, and so forth. If Chihiro can resolve these well, she can
reach self-rejuvenation; if not, self-annihilation will be the end result.
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After her trek to the marsh bottom, Chihiro reaches a crucial life-and-death
point, the most dangerous encounter with a father figure: Zeniba, sister of the
temptress Yubaba. In order to save Haku, Chihiro bravely confronts Zeniba,
although she is filled with fear. At this point, Chihiro has surpassed her formerly
self-concerned ego, that is, she has transcended her ego and reached her highest
self. According to Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014), once a hero encounters the
critical life-and-death ordeal, if he can apply all he has to resolve it, he will be
purified and reach the apotheosis stage.
Apotheosis; the ultimate boon
After a favorable climax and successfully resolving the dangerous encounter with
the life-and-death crucial point, the hero finally reaches the apotheosis stage—the
purification of the self. According to Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014), when a hero
has gone through the last terror of ignorance, he frees himself of fear and gains
wisdom. The hero is transformed into a godlike being, that is, he is in a state of
apotheosis. Chihiro has been too timid to face anything herself. However, once she
discovers that Haku is going to die from his serious injuries, she becomes aware of
the confrontation of death and realizes that fortune cannot fix everything. Indeed,
she remarks to No Face that, although he can make and provide her with gold, he
cannot help Haku and her parents to survive.
With love and altruism, in order to save Haku, Chihiro takes the magic emetic
dumpling she has saved for her parents and splits it in half to feed Haku in order to
keep him alive. Moreover, empathetic to No Body, who has become a horrible
monster, Chihiro offers him the other half of the magic emetic dumpling, allowing
the transformed horrible monster to become normal again. At this moment, Chihiro
is willing to sacrifice and contribute to others. This scene is further evidence that
she has already transcended to her highest self.
In addition, Chihiro attains wisdom, in the form of a boon or elixir, from
Zeniba. Zeniba, Yubaba’s twin sister, turns out to be a metaphorical symbol of a
goddess, a figure with kindness, as shown when Zeniba tells Chihiro, “Yubaba and
I are two halves of a whole, but we don’t get along” (Miyazaki, 2001, 01:49:34-
01:49:37). In order to give Chihiro the courage to move forward, Zeniba and
Chihiro’s companions, No Face, Boh (still a mouse), and Yubaba’s bird (still a little
fly), weave a lucky ribbon for Chihiro as a blessing and amulet. The ribbon
represents a reward from her ordeal. Moreover, Zeniba enlightens Chihiro about the
life-and-death issue. Earlier When Chihiro returned the seal to Zeniba and asks her
to save her parents, Zeniba says:
Zeniba: I’d like to help you, dear, but there’s nothing I can do. It’s one of
our rules here. You’ve got to take care of your parents and that
dragon boyfriend of yours, on your own.
Chihiro: But, um, can’t you even give me a hint? I feel like Haku and I
met, a long time ago.
Zeniba: In that case, it’s easy. Nothing that happens, is ever forgotten, even
if you can’t remember it. (ibid., 01:50:06-01:50:31)
26
As a goddess figure, Zeniba gives Chihiro advice, inspiring her to be

independent and solve her own problems and explaining that Chihiro saved Haku
on her own, so she can save her parents on her own, too.
After confronting the crucial life-and-death crisis, saving Haku, and helping
Boh and Yubaba’s bird to be transformed back to a baby and a bird, the heroine
Chihiro has finally gone through the apotheosis stage, as she has overcome her
greatest personal fear and challenge. After meeting the crucial life-and death ordeal,
at this moment, Chihiro becomes a triumphant heroine, with the ultimate boon, here
symbolized by the wisdom and lucky ribbon Zeniba gives her.
Following the apotheosis stage, the hero achieves his goal and reaches self-
purification, hence coming to the last stage of the initiation phase: the ultimate boon
stage, which symbolizes the glory of ultimate transformation. The ultimate boon is
the hero’s holy grail, or the elixir of life or immortality, a metaphorical symbol of
the achievement of the goal, meaning that the hero finally receives what he wants
in this world (Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014).
Boons can arise throughout a monomyth. As previously mentioned, Chihiro
tried to pull out the thorn from the Stink God, who turned out to be an ancient River
God being polluted by filth and discarded objects. Appreciating what Chihiro did
for him, the ancient River God gave her a magic emetic dumpling as a boon for
having freed him so that he could return to his original identity. Also, all of the
workers at the bath house celebrated Chihiro’s success in cleaning the River Spirit
and receiving a prize from the River God. The reward and the praise from her
partners and Yubaba also served as a symbolic boon and elixir.
Monomyth—phase three: return

Once the hero defeats his enemies, survives death, and overcomes arduous ordeals,
he, with his boon and reward, is ready to go home, to return to the world of humanity
and to use the boon he won to bring assistance to his own world. In the return part
of the journey, the hero once again crosses the threshold between the two worlds so
as to return to the ordinary world.
However, sometimes, the hero is unwilling to return to his world. Or, he may
not be allowed to leave: the guard of the supernatural world may chase him down.
At this moment, the hero may need some outside intervention, such as a rescue from
outside to help him reach the return part of the journey. After having confronted
various challenges and hardships in this journey, the hero has gained wisdom and
steps into the master of the two worlds stage, symbolizing the hero’s transformation
and ascent to a higher plane. Based on Campbell’s monomyth (1949, 2008, &
2014), there are six stages in the return phase: refusal of the return, the magic flight,
rescue from without, the crossing of the return threshold, master of the two worlds,
and freedom to live.
Refusal of the return
After the hero-quest journey, with the ultimate boon as a reward, the hero must
return home so as to improve his own world. However, sometimes, upon reaching
the apostasies state and spiritual purification as enlightenment, the hero may not
want to return to the ordinary world, preferring to stay in the supernatural world,
in his own triumphant state, forever (Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014). As afterward
Chihiro completes her initiation journey, she is ready on the way to return to her
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ordinary world. In order to let Chihiro return to her own world with no difficulty,
Haku advises her not to turn back until she gets out of the tunnel in order not to get
stuck in this supernatural world.
Haku: I can’t go any farther. Go back the way you came, Chihiro. But don’t
ever look back. Not until you’re out of the tunnel.
Chihiro: What about you, Haku?
Haku: I’ll speak to Yubaba. Quit my apprenticeship. I’m fine, now that I
have my name back. I’ll go back to my world, too.
Chihiro: Can we meet again?
Haku: I’m sure.
Chihiro: Promise?
Haku: Promise. Now go, and don’t look back. (Miyazaki, 2001, 01:58:15-
01:57:37)
During the return to her world, Chihiro must walk back on her own, following
the original road. When she is about to enter the tunnel, she stops, intending to turn
around to see Haku. Immediately, however, she thinks of Haku’s smile and his
warning. Instead of turning back, symbolizing a refusal of the return, she takes a
deep breath and keeps going out of the tunnel. Otherwise, she would be stuck in the
supernatural world.
The magic flight, rescue from without, and crossing the return threshold
After the hero accomplishes his tasks, he returns triumphantly to the ordinary world,
bringing his ultimate boon back home. If, on the way home, he wins the blessings
or support of a supernatural force, he encounters no difficulty on the return to his
own world. However, if the gift, or boon, is stolen from a god/goddess, the hero is
pursued. Hence, in order to escape pursuit and reach the ordinary world, the hero
must use his wisdom; this is the so-called magic flight in a monomyth. In other
words, to get back to his own world, the hero has to rescue himself. In addition, if
the supernatural force does not allow the hero to leave, the hero may need others’
assistance to help him escape the supernatural world. Or, sometimes, if success in
the supernatural world makes it difficult for the hero to return to his own world, he
will need someone or something to push him back into his ordinary world
(Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014). That is to say, he may need assistance from
without to complete his journey and regeneration and use the boon, symbolized as
an elixir or panacea, to provide restoration to his own world.
As Chihiro and her party safely return to the bath house, the bath house owner,
Yubaba, is ecstatic because her baby son, Boh, is safe. However, Yubaba has no
intention of letting Chihiro and her parents leave. Hence, in order to help them
return to their world smoothly, Haku and Boh act as the rescue from without,
reminding Yubaba to keep her promise, saying, “Yubaba, you promised. Please
return Chihiro's family to the human world” (Miyazaki, 2001, 01:55:53-01:55:58).
Yubaba promised that, once Chihiro returned Boh, she would turn Chihiro’s parents
back into human beings and let them all return to their world.
However, before leaving, in order for her parents to become human beings
again, Chihiro has to meet the last task—that is, she must go to the pig pen and pick
out her parents, so as to break Yubaba’s spell.
26
Yubaba: You only get one guess. Get it right, and you’re all free.
Chihiro: Granny, this is no good. My parents aren’t here.
Yubaba: Not here?! That’s your answer?
Chihiro: Yes.
Everyone: Bingo! (ibid., 01:55:54-01:57:39)
Ultimately, with wisdom, Chihiro wins the challenge, and Yubaba keeps her
promise to free Chihiro and her parents.
After confronting various hardships and winning his victory in his triumphant
journey, with wisdom and reward, the hero has to go back to his ordinary world
(Campbell, 1949, 2008, & 2014). As Chihiro completes her initiation journey, she
is ready on the way to return to her ordinary world. The last juncture of the hero’s
journey involves crossing the return threshold, which is also the most important part
of the whole journey. If a hero fails to cross this return threshold successfully, he
will be held forever in the supernatural world, just as Haku told Chihiro. Crossing
the abandoned theme park to the tunnel symbolizes the crossing of the return
threshold.
Master of the two worlds; freedom to live
Once the hero has crossed the return threshold, he will be able to travel freely
through the two worlds, which is actually one world with two domains. According
to Campbell (1949, 2008, & 2014), the two different worlds—the divine and the
human world—can be described as two different domains: life and death, day and
night, the conscious and the unconscious. While the hero adventures into the
darkness, he may be led astray, imprisoned, or endangered. However, whoever
accomplishes their ordeals will return to the human world. After that, he will be
able to see the two different worlds—the supernatural and the ordinary world—as
one whole and gain the freedom to live in both. In other words, the hero has resolved
his conflicts in the material and spiritual world, or the inner and outer world. In
reaching a balance between these two worlds, the hero has also experienced his
rebirth and regeneration. Afterward, he can freely live in the two worlds as he steps
into the freedom to live stage, the final stage of the hero’s journey.
After overcoming the challenges of the supernatural world, the hero has
developed insights to begin his new life, willing to succumb to reality. As Campbell
(1949, 2008, & 2014) noted, the hero has discarded his infantile ego and
transcended his ego to a higher plane. Moreover, his return may bring a solution or
a restoration, as an elixir, to benefit his ordinary world.
Upon seeing her parents whom she worked so hard to save, she runs to hug
them, with tears almost bursting out of her eyes. They walk together through the
tunnel. Though the tunnel is as dark as before, Chihiro is no longer scared to face
her future.
Mother: Come on, Chihiro. Let’s get to our new home.
Father: You’re not scared, are you?
Mother: Don't be afraid, honey. Everything’s gonna be okay.
Father: A new home and a new school? It is a bit scary.
Chihiro: I think I can handle it. (Miyazaki, 2001, 02:00:15-02:00:44)
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After going through the separation–initiation–return journey, the ten-year-old

timid girl has transformed into a girl with inner courage and wisdom. Moreover,
during her adventures, she empathized with others’ situations, was willing to
sacrifice to help them, and was grateful to those who gave her a hand. In the end,
Chihiro became enlightened and hence finished her self-individuation journey.
Conclusion
It is a prerequisite for a hero to experience a transformation. Through the hero’s
journey in a monomyth, despite people all over the world having different
civilizations and cultures, there is a similarity among human beings—all of us are
destined experience a journey of separation→initiation→return to reach
enlightenment and self-individuation. This study uses Campbell’s monomyth to
analyze how Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl in Spirited Away (2001), wanders into a
supernatural world and is trapped there, where she must use her resources to
survive. While wandering into the supernatural world, Chihiro learns to empathize,
love, and appreciate others during her journey, and hence, she completes her
monomyth cycle. With empathy, love, and persistence, she wins her decisive
victory, bringing a boon to this ordinary world, which brings restoration to her
family and community.
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METATHESIS: JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LITERATURE AND TEACHING

Using Mythic Structure of Campbell’s

Meng-Hsuan Wu1, Ya-huei Wang*2

Chung Shan Medical University Hospital

Received: Revised: Accepted: Published:

Keywords: monomyth, the hero’s journey, self-individuation, initiation,

Findings and Discussion

Figure 1. the seventeen interconnected stages of a hero’s departure–initiation–

Monomyth—phase one: departure

The call to adventure; refusal of the call

Mother: The moving van’ll get there before us.

timid and trembling, is terrified of his intimidating looks. However, Chihiro

Monomyth—phase two: initiation

Atonement with the Father

As a goddess figure, Zeniba gives Chihiro advice, inspiring her to be

Monomyth—phase three: return

After going through the separation–initiation–return journey, the ten-year-old

Błocian, I. (2015). Philosophical and psychological aspects in Jung’s conception of

Campbell, J. (1993). Myths to live by. NY: Penguin Compass.

Creswell, J. W. (2013) Research design qualitative, quantitative, and mixed

Dundes, A. (1984). Sacred narrative, readings in the theory of myth. Berkeley:

Leeming, David. A. (2011). The Oxford companion to world mythology. Oxford:

Levi-Strauss, C. (1955). The structural study of myth. The Journal of American

Miyazaki, H. (2001). Spirited Away [film]. Tokyo: Toho.

Neuman, W. L. (2007). Basic of social research: Qualitative and quantitative

Palumbo, D. (2014). The monomyth in American science fiction films: 28 visions of

Randles, C. (2012). The “Hero's Journey”: A way of viewing music teacher

Segal, R. A. (1978). Joseph Campbells theory of myth: An essay review of his

Spence, L. (2004). An introduction to mythology. New York: Cosimo, Inc.

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